Tobacco press



Dec. 25, 1934. H, P. TAYLOR 1,985,626

TOBACCO PRESS Filed Nov. 6, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 25, 1934. 'H R TAYLOR 1,985,626

TOBACCO PRESS Filed Nov. 6, 1933 y s Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Z HENRY P TQY'L 0/2 Dec. 25, 1934. H. TAYLOR 1,985,626

TOBACCO PRESS Filed Nov. 6, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Elm um;

. E5: 5 HENRY P Ema/Q M WWW:

Patented Dec. 25, 1934 UNITED STATE-'5 romocorna ssfl Henry 15'. Taylor, Winston- Salem, N. C Application November 6,1933, SeriaLNO GiJBBB v 4 Claims. (01. 1314-11) This invention relates to a press for confining tobacco after the same has been pressed in powerful presses, in order that the back pressure may be confined for adesired lengthv of time 5 beforethe tobacco is packed in containers for shipment'and sale. 1

One mode of pressing and packing manufactured tobacco has been to press the tobacco. in batches of .ten' pounds and thenthis batch of pressed pieces of tobacco is taken from the final press and placed in a. strong wooden caddy or box and sealed and the back'pressure therein causes the end plugs of.;:thev batch of tobacco to press against the tops; and bottomof. the caddy or .box and produces aslick finish to these end. plugs. patents, already granted to me, by placing a member between the tobacco and the top and bottom of the caddy. These patents are as'fo'llows: Nos.- 1,720,014; 1,740,126; 1,762,429; 1,828,790; 1,924.759;.1,924,760and Reissue No.

In recent'years there has been a demand in the trade for smaller packages than theten pound box or caddy, due to the dealers'car'rying many brands and not desiring to invest so heavily in ten pound boxes of particular brands. -.-As a result the manufacturers, in order to'meet this demandfrom the trade, have been packing tobacco in one, two, four and five pound boxes.

As a very'small wooden box is about as expensive to'make as a ten pound box,'it has been too expensive" for manufacturers to pack these small batches of tobacco in wooden caddies, but have packed the same in cardboard boxes and the like which have ,verylittle or no strength for resisting the backpressure of the batches-of tobacco after these batches have been-released from the powerful presses. It has been, there.-

;40 fore, necessary to confine the tobacco in'the presses for a much longer time in order to give the back pressure time to expend itself, or in some instances, small containers, such as are shown in Figure 3 of my Patent Number 1,924,759, have been provided. So great hasbeen the demend-for small packages of tobacco, this has resulted in many of these small confining presses .being spread upon the factory floor, taking up much space and presenting an unsightly appearance. I

It is an object of thisinventionto provide a press into which a greatqnumber of stacks or batches of pressed tobacco, can beplaced and there confined for as many days as are necessary for the back pressurev in the tobacco to expend I overcame this difiiculty in several itself;-v In'this way. a great number of stacks or batches of tobacco ,can be stacked oneupon the cther and there 'confined zfor the desired length of time, taking up very little space and protect+ ing thetobacco from foreign-substances, ,such as .5 grit,.and the like, prevalent on the factory floor.

Itis anotherobject of this invention to, providea. compartment into which a great num- :beryofstacks or batches of pressed tobaccocan be placedfor; confinement: .whilethei back pres 10 s r is bein sp r n ment b in mad wherein a veryhigh stack;;,or batchwof tobacco can be confined, and means areproyided intermediate. the top; andthe bottom of the ,compartment whereby theamollnt of.pressure exerted on 15 the bottom portion. offthe stacks-or batches of tobacco can 'beregulated, thusgiving an even amount; of pressure. throughout the height of the stacks or batches oftobacco.: Were this provision not made in the caseof very largepresses, then 20 the bottom portions of "the batches, would --have to not only bear the pressure exerted; --thereon, but also the, weight-of the batches andatherefore,

the bottom portionszof :thebatches' would be pressed more than thegtopiportionsthereof, and .25

this would be objectionable.

This .invention: is1,designed 1 especially for use in connection-with the dividing;strips-shownin my saidPatent Number. 1,924,759,, thoughit is desired to, be understood that it; can+be :used 30 for large or small batches of tobaccoyas is ll?- lustrated in=thedrawingsybut primarily itisv to be used for preparation-of the smaller batches,

as the larger batches would be packed in: wooden caddiesor boxes-andywould have headstherein 35 to withstand the backpressure' and would have fibrous pads and;.the'..like, as shown in my previous patents, to prevent the-slick appearance on the outside surfaces ofrthe outside .plugs ;of tobacco.-.; q v

' Someof the .objects of the invention having been stated, the invention will appear more fully, when-taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, showing. a;.preferred= embodimentbf Figure 1 is an isometric view of the invention, with the front wallloweredand portionsof-the superstructure. broken away;

Figure 2 isa'front elevation of the invention filled with stacks-of tobacco and withthe front wall in lowered position;

Figure 3 is, a vertical sectional view taken along the linef3,3 in Figure 2 and. showing a-portion of some of the. dividingboards broken-away.

I vReferringsmore, specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 indicates a suitable raised base on which the floor 11 of the press is adapted to rest, or to be secured, as desired. Secured to or integral with the base 11 are the sidewalls 12 and 13, and backwall 14. Hingedly secured to the front portion of the bottom 11 is a door 15 which is let down to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 for filling the press with batches of pressed tobacco. The inner surfaces of sidewalls 12 and 13 have suitable supports, such as angle members 16 and 17, the purpose of which will be later described. The bottom 11 is divided into a plurality of transverse grooves 18 and a plurality of longitudinally disposed grooves 19 into which suitable dividing strips 20 are adapted to be dis-' posed. The dividing strips 20 have their lower ends fitting into the groove v19, whereas, transverse dividing strips 22 are mounted in the grooves 18. The door 15 has suitable projections 23 thereon which are adapted to receive links 24 of hinge members 25 pivotally secured to brackets 26 which in turn are secured to sidewall 12 or 13, as the case may be. This causes the door 15 to be held in closed position when the press is filled with stacks of pressed manufactured tobacco.

In the embodiment of the invention shown, sixteen vertical batches are adapted to be accommodated within the press, though the press may be made larger or smallen as desired. This results in there being four transverse rows of batches of tobacco A, B, C and D, and in order for separate pressure to be applied to these four transverse rows, there are suitable pressure applying means provided. The pressure applying means for each row of batches of tobacco comprises suitable guide members 30 and 31 secured at their lower ends to the outer portion of sidewall 12and guide members 32 and 33 secured to the outside portion of sidewall 13. Slidably mounted in grooves 34 and 35, appearing between the guides 30, 31, 32 and 33 respectively, is a suitable member such as an I-beam 36 and rigidly secured to the upper ends of the members 30, 31, 32 and 33 is another suitable member such as another I-beam 37. The I-beam 36 has projections on the ends thereof which slide in the grooves 34 and 35. Suitable pressure applying means such as jacks 38 and 39 are disposed between the members 36 and 37 for exerting downward pressure on the top of the batches of tobacco. The description for one of the pressure applying means equally applies to the other pressure applying means and like reference characters indicate the structural parts of the same.

In packing the press full of tobacco a plurality of batches of tobacco A which have already been pressed in suitable powerful presses are placed along the back wall 14 of the press and resting on the bottom thereof with dividing boards 20 and 22 disposed in the grooves between the batches. The batches of tobacco are divided into any desired number of pieces by means of dividing strips 40, as is fully set forth in my Patent Number 1,924,759, and also a surface configuration controlling member or plate or pad 50 as set forth in my previous patents, is placed on top of and at the bottom of each batch, this usually being present when the tobacco is pressed in the powerful presses and before the batches of tobacco are transferred to this press. A plurality of batches A of tobacco is packed in the lower half of the press, a suitable board or sheet member 41 is placed transversely and horizontally of the press, and if desired, another board member 42 may be placed thereabove and suitable short boards or plate members 43, 44 and 45 are placed over the tops of each batch of tobacco, and on top of these members 43, 44 and 45, a board or suitable plate member 46 is disposed having grooves therein for receiving the lower end of the dividing strips 20 for the upper half of the press. Then a plurality of batches A of tobacco is placed in the upper half of the press, their lower ends resting on the lower plate or board 46 and being divided by dividing members 40, which has heretofore been described, and is fully set forth in my Patent Number 1,924,759.

On top of the upper batches of tobacco a suitable board or plate 47 is placed with suitable short members 48 on top of this board or plate 47 and the I-beam member 36 is allowed to rest on these plate members 48 and the pressure applying means such as the jacks 38 and 39 are disposed between the members 36 and 37 for applying pressure on the batches of tobacco. When the batches are placed in the press the upper ends of the lower 'stacks are very close to the angle members 16 and 17 and of course board 46 is not resting on angle iron members .16 and 17, and likewise, the upper ends of the upper batches of tobacco may be projecting upwardly'slightly beyond the top of the press, dependingon the height of the batches of tobacco, and then when pressure is applied to bring'the batches of tobacco to the proper size, the board 42, on account of the pressure applied by the jacks 38.and 39, is moved downwardly until it restsion the angle iron members 16 and 17, and by this arrangement it is seen that further pressure cannot be applied to the lower batches of tobacco, and in this manner, the amount of pressure applied to the lower batches, can be controlled by the number of, and the thickness of, plates 43, 44 or 45, which are placed between board or sheet metal member 46 and the board .or sheet metal member 42.- If the batches of tobacco are placed in the press immediately after being taken from the powerful presses and before thebatches have expanded on account of back pressure very little pressure will be applied by the jacks.

After the first plurality of batches of tobacco have been placed in the back end of the press, subsequent batches are' likewise placed therein with the dividing strips or sheet members 20 or 22 being placed therebetween, the arrangement being fully shown in Figure 3, and Figure 2 shows the front batches in position after the press is filled and ready for the door 15 to be closed.

It might be remarked, that although the presses are shown in a pressure applying position in Figure 2 with the door 15 in lowered position, it is understood that door 15 will be" in closed position before the pressure applying means 38 are operated to bring the batches of tobacco into'position shown in Figure 2. I 1

It is thus seen that I have provided a confining press wherein a great number of stacks or batches of tobacco divided into any suitable sizes may be placed and confined therein for the back pressure to be spent and then these stacks or batches can be taken from the press'and separated into desired sizes by removing the dividing strips 40 and these portions of tobacco can then be packed in paste-board, or card-board and the like boxes, and delivered to the trade without any danger of back pressure swelling the boxes as sometimes happens, unless the tobacco is confined for a suit able time for allowing the back pressure to be spent.

It is also evident that byhaving a large press and confining all of the tobacco in the press, it eliminates the plurality of smaller presses being thrown at random over the floor of the factory. It also confines the tobacco in a much more economical manner than where individual presses are used for individual stacks or batches of tobacco.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A press for confining batches of pressed manufactured tobacco comprising a compartment having its base traversed by a plurality of grooves disposed at right angles to each other and dividing the base into a plurality of squares, each square being adapted to support a batch of pressed manufactured tobacco, dividing members disposed in the grooves and separating the batches of tobacco, separate pressure applying means for each row of batches disposed above the compartment for simultaneously applying pressure to all of said batches of tobacco in a row and means for varying the amount of pressure applied to the lower portion of the batches of tobacco with relation to the top portion.

2. A press for confining batches of manufactured tobacco disposed side by side and end to end, means on the upper portion of the press for applying pressure to the hatches, a dividing member disposed transversely of the press separating the batches into upper and lower portions, means on the sidewall of the press for limiting downward movement of the dividing member to limit the amount of pressure which may be applied to the lowermost portions of the batches, and other means disposed between the dividing member and the lowermost batches of tobacco for determining the amount of pressure applied to the lowermost batches.

3. A press for confining a plurality of batches of pressed tobacco while the back pressure therein is being spent and arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, comprising sidewalls and a back wall and a base, a front wall hingedly secured to the base and adapted to be swung to horizontal position while the batches of tobacco are placed in the press, said base having transversely and longitudinally disposed grooves therein for the reception of dividing strips to be disposed between the batches of tobacco, separate pressure applying means disposed above the press for each transverse row of batches of tobacco, a pair of ledges secured on the sidewalls for limiting downward movement of horizontal dividing strips, filler members adapted to be disposed between the horizontal dividing strips and the tops of the lower batches whereby the amount of pressure transmitted to the lower batches can be determined.

4. A press for confining a plurality of batches of tobacco arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows and which have been pressed, comprising a compartment having upper and lower sections, horizontally disposed dividing strips for supporting upper batches of tobacco above the lower batches, ledges secured on the sidewalls of the press for limiting downward movement of the dividing strips, pressure applying means disposed above the press for applying separate pressure to each transverse row of batches, and a plurality of filler blocks disposed between the dividing strips and the upper ends of the lower batches for limiting the amount of pressure applied to the upper batches which may be transmitted to the lower batches.

HENRY ,P. TAYLOR. 

